


family ties.

by porcelainsimplicity, Scarlett_Phoenix



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Post-X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2016-06-10
Packaged: 2018-07-14 04:03:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7152713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/porcelainsimplicity/pseuds/porcelainsimplicity, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlett_Phoenix/pseuds/Scarlett_Phoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was extremely difficult to get around with a cast on his leg and Peter absolutely hated it.  He hated not being able to run, he hated not being able to stand up without crutches, and he hated having to experience everything in what he called his super slow mode.  If that was what life without his mutation would have been like, then thank the heavens for his mutation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	family ties.

**Author's Note:**

> Before this begins, we would just like to say that we have tried to the best of our ability to be faithful to what movieverse has created and to what the Lehnsherr-Maximoff family is in the comics. They never say her name in the film, but the credits are clear – Erik's wife is Magda. In the comics, Magda is Peter (Pietro) and Wanda's mother. But if Magda is Erik's wife and Nina's mother, she can't be Peter's mother. The movie tries to imply that Ms. Maximoff, as the credits call her, is Peter's biological mother, but we can't go along with that. To us, she is Marya Maximoff, the woman who takes in Peter (Pietro) and Wanda and raises them as her own after Magda's death. Obviously, for rights reasons, there is no Wanda in the X-Men universe, but we didn't feel right in leaving her out either. Peter (Pietro) and Wanda are two halves of a whole, and to have one without the other makes no sense to us. We understand why it is in the films, but this is our story, total canon divergence, and therefore for us, she is here. But we also can't make them twins in the true sense of the word, because that's not faithful to movieverse. As such, we have made (very, very, very reluctantly) Wanda be Marya and Django Maximoff's biological child, born just a couple of months after Peter, and therefore the two were raised like twins following the death of Peter's biological mother, who will remain unnamed because we can't give Peter another mother than Magda. Wanda is definitely not the little girl who sat in Peter's lap at the end of DOFP. If you have seen the Rogue Cut of DOFP, you know that Ms. Maximoff (honestly, why don't they just call her Marya?) told the girl (who is only listed as Peter's Little Sister on IMDB) to go bug her sister upstairs. To us, the sister upstairs is Wanda. When Magda is referenced in this story, she will be as she is in movieverse, Erik's wife and Nina's mother. But it breaks part of our hearts to do so. 
> 
> Now that we've got that off our chests, let's move on to the story.

It was extremely difficult to get around with a cast on his leg and Peter absolutely hated it. He hated not being able to run, he hated not being able to stand up without crutches, and he hated having to experience everything in what he called his super slow mode. If that was what life without his mutation would have been like, then thank the heavens for his mutation.

The little group that formed during the battle with En Sabah Nur, or Apocalypse as they'd all taken to calling him since that's basically what he caused, had pretty much stuck together since they returned from Cairo, and they'd quickly incorporated Storm into it as well. It was her by his side at the moment, trying to convince him to come watch television with them, but Peter was so sick of sitting on the sofa and watching television.

“Come on, Peter, please? Family Ties is on and Kurt says that's one of your favorites,” Storm said, smiling at him.

“Sorry, Storm, not tonight,” Peter said, shaking his head. “I think I'm going to sit outside for awhile.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I'm sure,” Peter said, slowly making his way towards the patio doors. “You guys watch without me, okay?”

Storm turned away, and Peter continued his snail's pace to the door, taking forever to get out the door with the crutches and without managing to fall over, before finally collapsing into a chair and throwing the damned crutches to the ground. All he wanted was to run again. Stupid Apocalypse.

~*~

"We should do something," Raven said as she turned away from the window and looked over at Hank, who was drawing out his plans for the next X-Jet.

"What do you mean?" Hank asked, setting down a pencil and meeting Raven's gaze. 

"Nobody hasn't been able to cheer up Peter all week." 

"Well, he can't use his powers." 

"Exactly," Raven said, smiling at him. "And we both know someone who wasn't able to do so either for ten years." Neither of them really knew what it was like to not be able to use their powers, instead finding them almost a burden once upon a time. 

"Raven, is Erik being around him a good idea?" Hank got up from his chair and walked over to her, looking out the window and seeing Peter sitting outside on the patio. "I mean, I would think he'd need to be around someone bright and cheerful." 

"Right now, they're both so much alike. They need to spend time together. It isn't exactly a secret that Erik is Peter's father. I know Peter wants to tell him." 

"I don't think Erik would listen to us if we asked him to go see Peter," Hank said, looking back at Raven. 

"Which is why we should tell Charles and convince him to go along with it." 

“Convince me to go along with what?” Charles asked as he wheeled himself into the room. “Hank, how are those plans coming?”

"They're coming along nicely," Hank said, walking back over to the desk. "I've been able to make some improvements based on the last model. Tomorrow I'll start working on it."

"Charles, we have an idea," Raven said. 

"Well, it was her idea actually—"

"Hank and I think it would be good for Peter if Erik spent some time with him,” Raven said. “He's alone outside, and none of the students have been able to cheer him up for days now."

“And your solution is Erik?” Charles asked. “Yes, we all are aware of the familial ties between the two of them, but I'm not sure Erik is exactly the person to try and pull someone out of a down mood, especially given how Peter tends to leave every time Erik gets close to him.”

"It's not like Peter can go anywhere right now," Raven said, then she winced. "They're so much alike right now. I haven't seen Erik talk to anyone when he's by himself and passing students in the halls." 

"We aren't trying to force Peter to tell Erik that he is his son. He can do that on his own when he's ready," Hank said. "We just think spending a little time together might help them both.”

Charles thought about it for a moment before sighing loudly. “Well, this might not be a horrible idea. I will monitor what is happening outside, and one of you be prepared to run out there to interrupt things should I direct you to if things get out of control. And I suppose that I'm the one who is supposed to talk Erik into going out there?”

"That's fine, Charles. I'll head down there now," Hank said, gathering up the blueprints on the desk. 

Raven smiled, knowing her plan was working. "Well, we both know Erik would listen to you more than he would us, but I can go with you if you'd like."

“Thank you, Hank. And that's a nice offer, Raven, but I think it best that I do this alone,” Charles said, wheeling himself towards the door. “This requires some subtlety that you have never exactly been the best at.”

“Thanks for insulting me, Charles.”

“That wasn't an insult, Raven. It was just the truth,” Charles said as he wheeled himself out of the room and towards the elevator.

~*~

Charles found Erik in his study, observing the titles on one of the many bookshelves. “Erik. I was hoping you'd be in here.”

"Here I am," Erik said, turning around to face Charles. "I was hoping you'd fancy a game of chess, but something tells me you've got something else in mind."

“I need you to help me out with something,” Charles said, coming to a stop in front of him. “Erik, I know that speaking about your time in the Pentagon is difficult for you, but there is a young man on the patio right now who is unable to use his powers due to injury, and I'm concerned for his mental health. He's slipping further and further into a depression that his friends are finding it more difficult to pull him out of.”

"Charles, isn't there another way to help the boy? I don't think I'm the right person to help him. Not after what I've done." Erik let out a heavy sigh. "I'd only make him worse. What happened in the Pentagon and his injury are two different things."

“Yes, I know they are,” Charles started. “But other than me, you are the only person around here who knows what it's like not to be able to use your powers. I don't think I'm the right fit for this scenario because I willingly gave mine up. And I know you don't think you're the right person for this but I think you are, and that should mean something to you. Look, all I'm asking you to do is go sit on the patio and talk to him. You don't have to talk about your powers if you don't want to. Just talk to him about anything.”

Erik ran a hand through his hair, then he sighed, giving Charles a small smile. "Alright. I'll try talking to him. I don't know what kids talk about these days, but I'll try."

"I know for a fact that he's always wanted to travel the world," Charles said, returning the smile with a more genuine one. "Perhaps start with one of your travels? And thank you, Erik, for doing this. Not just for me, but for Peter as well."

~*~

"Where are you off to?" Raven asked as she spotted Erik in the hallway, walking her way.

"Outside," he said. 

Raven smirked. "There's a six pack of beer in the refrigerator you could take with you," she said when he stopped next to her. 

"So you were in on it, too. I should have known." 

"It's a good thing." 

"Is the beer?" he asked, a little uncertainty in his voice. He knew Peter was of age, but he was going there to cheer him up and not to bring him down any further than he already was. 

"Peter is twenty-seven-years-old. He's old enough. It might relax him a little. If Charles finds out, then he can come to me about it. Trust me, it'll be fine." 

"Alright. Uh, thanks," he said. 

"Don't mention it," she said, then walked away in the other direction. 

Erik continued walking down the hallway and made his way to the kitchen. Some of the younger students were huddled around the island counter eating ice cream and telling jokes while others came and went for a snack or two. He went to the refrigerator and found a few things of beer and various soda cans. Erik hesitated for a moment debating on what to bring. Had he known what kind of soda the boy liked, he would have brought it instead of the six pack he now grabbed. 

He left the kitchen and passed the living room where the latest X-Men team were gathered. The television was on a little too loudly and one of kids was bursting with laughter. He felt bad for Peter missing out on whatever fun they were having. After battling a big event like Apocalypse, the boy should be enjoying himself. 

Soon Erik found himself outside in the peace and quiet. He saw Peter sitting in a chair, looking miserable and maybe even in a little in pain, and saw his crutches lying on the ground. He knew the leg should be elevated but there would be more time for that later. 

"It's a nice evening tonight," Erik said as he walked over. He set the bottles down on the table, then picked up the crutches and set them leaning against the wall. 

"I guess." Peter looked up at Erik and then looked over at the beer. "You going to let me have one of those or is that just for yourself?"

"They're for us," Erik said, grabbing two bottles, then he handed one to Peter and took a seat next to him.

"Thanks," Peter said, taking the bottle and trying to get the cap off. "You didn't bring a bottle opener, did you?"

Erik laughed. "Don't need one."

He reached out and took Peter's bottle, and Peter watched as the metal cap just peeled away and floated over to rest on the table.

Peter laughed. "A human bottle opener. You are useful for so many things. Anyway, thanks for the beer and like acknowledging that I'm old enough to drink one. The Professor still seems to think that I'm seventeen."

"I think Charles thinks that of all of his students, and you're welcome." Erik sighed and took a sip of his beer. "Look, I know it doesn't seem like it to you right now, but you're still useful even if you're hobbling around for a few more weeks. The students look up to you, but I know how you feel."

"The students look up to me? Dude, if you came out here to try and lift my spirits or some bullshit like that because the Professor asked you to, thanks but no thanks. I'm sick and tired of people trying to tell me how I should feel. The kids want me to be happy. How the hell am I supposed to be happy when I can't run, when all I've done since I was eight was run, so we're talking almost twenty years here. I came to this place for a reason, and I got caught up in a war, and now I'm apparently going to be an X-Man, which, cool, Marya wanted me out of her basement anyway, I really am a completely loser. But the reason no longer matters, because it's just not the right time for it, which of course it's not, because it's never going to be, and that's why Marya didn't tell me until then, but whatever." Peter paused and took a long sip from his beer. "Sorry, that sort of all just came out."

"No, don't apologize. Peter, you were never a loser. You were just a boy then and now you're a man, doing something greater with your life by choosing to be here, being an X-Man. I wasn't much older than yourself when my powers manifested. It wasn't under the best circumstances either. I later got caught up in a war and it cost me my powers for ten years. Ten years without detecting metal anywhere felt like a lifetime. Being cooped up like this isn't easy. It probably feels longer than a lifetime to you, but you're not alone. Whatever reason brought you back here, continue to believe in it. Don't give up on it because of what someone else might say or feel. Don't wait too long like I did."

"Oh, I was a loser, trust me. I drove Marya crazy with the amount of stuff that I'd steal just because I could. Then I finally cleaned out the basement of most of that junk, and I made a nice chunk of change selling all that stuff, let me tell you, and she starts talking to me about getting out of the house more. I'm fucking awful at school so I didn't go to college and I can't hold down a job because I can't sit still or just stand there, and so there I was, twenty-seven-years-old and living in Marya's basement," Peter said, taking another long sip from his beer. "Yeah, not being able to use my mutation feels like forever, and your ten years sounds like absolute torture of the worst kind imaginable. But my reason for being here is just like fading from importance. No one is telling me to give up on it. In fact, everyone is encouraging me to talk to someone about it. But I know when it's the right time to say things and when it isn't, believe it or not. And this is not the right time. So enough about me. What about you? I heard about your family. What were they like? You know, if you want to talk about it, if not totally cool, dude."

"I don't know what all you've heard, but I had a wife and a nine year old daughter in Poland. My wife was a wonderful woman and Nina," Erik smiled, "well, she was a bit like you. She could never settle down anywhere and she would always be moving, having to be somewhere outside. She was always out in the back yard or wandering through the forest with her friends. It gave me and her mother a heart attack at times when we couldn't find her." 

Erik brought the cool bottle to his lips and took a long sip, then looked out to the grass and many trees. "I thought about bringing Nina here a time or two, especially when she got a little older. She would have loved how open it is out here and how friendly everyone is."

Peter took a sip from his beer. "Nina sounds like my youngest sister. She is outside all day every day whether it's raining or the sun's out or it's snowing. She just has to be outdoors. What was Nina's mutation? I mean, I'm assuming she had one."

"She could communicate to animals. Kind of like telepathy. That's the only way I can describe it." Erik finished up his beer. "Deer were her favorite to be around. I'd come home from work and find four of them in the yard. Sometimes more with rabbits and squirrels. She would sing to birds in the morning and the birds would always sing back. Nina had a kind spirit."

~*~

"Nina had a kind spirit," Jean relayed to everyone who was crowded around the upstairs window that looked over the patio. "Now Peter's getting them more beer."

"I do not understand the importance of this beer," Kurt said, turning to look at the group. "Does it do something to make Peter feel better?"

Scott laughed. "Beer is alcohol. It makes you drunk. Haven't you ever heard of beer? Everyone knows what beer is."

"Do not be so arrogant," Storm said, shifting closer to Kurt. "He has never led a normal life."

"Oh, and you have?" Scott asked.

"I grew up on the streets of Cairo," Storm said sternly. "It was either steal or die. You've never been in that position, Summers, so lay off making fun of those of us who have."

"Whatever," Scott said, turning back to Jean. "What's going on now?”

Jean looked back out the window. "They're both quiet at the moment."

"Do you think Peter is going to tell him?" Jubilee asked, watching Jean.

"I don't know." Jean frowned. "I know he wants to and it bothers him. Now Erik is talking about his travels, how he took a boat to France and went on trains and buses through Germany to get to Poland. Peter is fascinated, and he wishes to tour Germany and maybe visit Poland at some point in his life." 

"Sounds like a boring conversation," Scott said, leaning back against the wall. "Why are we listening in again?"

Kurt teleported from where he was sitting on the opposite side of the group to next to where Scott was. "Because we want Peter to be happy, of course. He's never going to be happy until he tells Erik the truth."

"The only reason Peter is not happy is because he can't run," Scott said. "If freaking Magneto was my father, I'd keep that information to myself as long as I possibly could. I mean, look at what happened to his family in Poland. All of that happened because he's freaking Magneto."

"That's not true, Scott," Jean snapped. "Erik saved a man's life and then that man and some others killed his wife and daughter right in front of him while he was trying to ease their fears."

She took her eyes away from the window to see everyone staring at her. "I'm sorry, but it's the truth. He didn't do anything wrong. He was trying to live a normal life. And please don't repeat what I just said."

Neither the Professor or Erik had told her what he went through, but she had felt the pain and seen it all in her own nightmares. She had yet to discuss it with the Professor, but knew she would have to soon. "But exactly, Kurt. Peter would be a little happier if he told Erik the truth. Perhaps they both would be."

"If I knew my father or even my mother and they didn't know, I would like to confront them if I had the chance. Having a mutant parent would be awesome," Jubilee said as her fingers ignited into multicolored sparks.

"I'm not trying to be the bad guy here," Scott said as Jean turned her attention back to the window. "I'm just saying, of all the people in the world to be his father, he gets stuck with Magneto. And I know you said he did nothing wrong, Jean, but there's a trail of bodies in that Polish town that say otherwise."

"Don't you think you would lose control of your mutation if you just saw the two people you loved most in the world die in front of you?" Storm asked. "My parents died in a car accident, right in front of me. I was seven. Next thing I know, lightning is striking from the sky down around the car, hitting some of the people who came to help. I got out of there and ran away before anyone could realize that the lightning was coming from me."

"I do not know my parents," Kurt said softly. "I have small memories of them. My father was red and a teleporter like me. My mother was blue. They left me when I was very small. But if I came face to face with them today, I know I would recognize them."

"I'm sorry, Kurt," Jean said, sensing the longing for family from Kurt. "Memories like the ones you have will always be with you. Maybe one day you will see them again. I think the Professor could help you find them if you wanted him to."

"A father who looked like you?" Jubilee asked in wonder. "That is amazing. My parents died when I was three, then I got adopted when I was five." 

"Yes, my father looked like me but was red. I must get the blue from my mother," Kurt said, shuffling further down the wall. "Most of the memories are of them arguing. It makes me sad to know they were not happy."

_Jean,_ came Charles's voice in her head. _It is not polite to eavesdrop on private conversations, nor to relay what you've heard to others. I know you all are worried about your friend, but what you are doing goes against the ethics lessons we have begun._

_I'm sorry, Professor. We were only looking out for him and I didn't think there would be any harm in it,_ Jean replied, realizing she had been listening longer than she planned. _I promise I'll stop listening._

"Jean, what's wrong?" Jubilee asked, seeing her friend lost in thought. "Did something bad happen?"

"No," Jean said. "The Professor knows we've been eavesdropping, and he's reminding me that it goes against our ethics lesson we started to learn." 

_And as for the rest of you,_ came Charles's voice in the rest of their minds, _I don't want to have to begin privacy lessons with all of you. Please move away from the window and let them have their private conversation._

Kurt's head swiveled around, looking around for the source of the voice. “Who was that? No one said anything and there is no one else here.”

Scott sighed. “It was the Professor, Kurt. He can speak inside our minds, just like Jean can. And he just took away our fun for the evening.”

_Violating someone's privacy is not fun,_ Charles sent through their minds. _It is a serious breach of trust._

“Well, isn't what you're doing right now violating our privacy?” Scott asked, crossing his arms across his chest. 

_What I'm doing right now is teaching you an apparently much needed lesson,_ went through their minds. _All of you will see me in my study tomorrow afternoon at two-thirty so we can discuss this further. Now, go do something else. I will know if you do not._

“Great, now we have to go see the Professor,” Storm said, standing up. “Thanks a lot, Scott.”

Kurt stood up as well. “There is probably some ice cream in the kitchen. We could go get some.”

“Sounds great, Kurt,” Storm said, reaching out towards him. “Meet you all down there.”

Kurt gave her a toothy grin and as soon as their hands touched, he teleported them away.

"Come on," Jubilee said, linking her arms with Jean and Scott's and pulling them away from the window toward the doorway. "Storm might eat it all before we make it downstairs."

~*~

Erik peeled away the metal caps before sitting back down next to Peter and handing him one of the bottles. "So anymore high profile prison breaks?"

Peter laughed and took a long sip of his beer. "No, you were my one and only. It was exhilarating, don't get me wrong, and I loved every second of it, but then you kind of went all 'let's take over the world' on us and I seriously questioned my sanity for aiding in your escape for awhile. Then Marya told me who my father was and that sort of took precedence over every thing else."

Erik took a drink as well. "You didn't know who your father was?"

"I had a name," Peter said, internally freaking out about how he was going to talk about this without _talking_ about this. "He was gone before I was born. Apparently my mother never even got to tell him about me. And then my mother died when I was four months old, and so Marya, she took me in, which was like a major undertaking because she had a two month old daughter. Wanda and I have basically been raised like we're twins, even though we're not. 

"I thought that Django, Marya's weird husband, was my father for awhile, but Marya set me straight when I was five. And then Marya and Django eventually got divorced so the only father figure I've ever had left, and Marya pretty much turned into a drunk, and then I manifested and was running everywhere, and I think she wanted to kill me. Then Wanda manifested and I think she sort of just gave up at that point. But yeah, she told me who my father really was, not just this name that I'd always had, and wow. It was, like, mindblowing. I'm still not used to it, I don't think."

"I'm sorry to hear about your parents. I lost both my parents when I was twelve." Erik took another long sip of his beer before continuing, trying to understand. "Is your father a terrible person or something? You don't have to talk about it further unless you want to."

Peter drained the rest of his bottle, debating internally about whether or not this was the time to do this. He closed his eyes for a moment before deciding to take the out that Erik had given him. "My father is...interesting. How did you lose your parents?"

"Well," Erik sighed heavily, thinking for a moment. "My parents died in the Auschwitz concentration camps. The Nazis had separated me from my parents...and it caused my powers to manifest." 

"Oh fuck!" Peter exclaimed, turning to look at Erik. "I had no idea, man, no idea at all. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. Totally, totally sorry. Auschwitz. Wait, that's why Apocalypse took you to Auschwitz, isn't it? Fuck. I'm screwing this all up. I cannot apologize enough, dude. Seriously."

"Yeah, it was," Erik said quietly, remembering how En Sabah Nur had used him and how he destroyed what remained. "It's alright. I should probably start getting used to talking about it. Only one other person knows."

"The Professor?" Peter guessed, and Erik nodded. "Well, you should probably talk to someone like him about it instead of some dumb kid like me."

"You're not a dumb kid," Erik reminded him, shaking his head and giving him a small smile. Someone really needed to make the boy believe that. "Believe it or not, I enjoy talking to you."

"Clearly you never saw my report cards," Peter joked, trying not to let on how much it meant to him that Erik liked talking to him. "Alright, I'm not dumb. I'm intelligent and charming and actually have the courage to talk to my father. Ha, I'm never, ever going to be that guy. I'm just an asshole who runs fast, occasionally does good things, and mostly plays video games in Marya's basement. But, I enjoy talking to you too. So, you want to talk? I'll listen and try not to insult you again."

"I would say don't dread on the past but I'll let Charles give you and the others that speech. My mother and father were kind people. If they were alive today I don't think they would be pleased to know what all I've done. Well, actually, I think I wouldn't be half the person I am now. I would probably be someone else entirely. I don't know." 

Erik took a moment then let out a sigh. "I noticed you mentioned your father again..."

"Ah fuck," Peter said, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. "Might as well get this over with. The name I had all those years? It was Magnus Eisenhart.”

Erik was mid-sip when he heard that name, and he promptly choked. He pulled the bottle away from his lips and coughed several times to try to regain the ability to breathe, but even after his throat cleared, it was still difficult to. “Magnus Eisenhart?” he barely got out.

“Yeah. So, that was the name of my father, and fine, he was an asshole, whatever. But then after your big 'let's take over the world' speech, Marya recognized you. She had a picture, something that she'd kept from me for seventeen years and man, I wanted to kill her for that, but she finally gave it to me and it was my mother, who I'd seen in photographs a million times, and with her was you. 

“And I knew it was you, totally. No doubt in my mind. Not after the prison break. So the interesting father I mentioned earlier is you. Go ahead and freak out now."

Erik looked at Peter, wondering how this boy could be his son. He didn't know what to say as he studied Peter, starting with his silver hair then his closed eyes. His nose and chin were what stood out to him, reflecting his own like a mirror. 

Ten years ago, Erik thought Peter was nineteen or twenty when he escaped the Pentagon. A few times he found himself questioning what Peter had said in the elevator, how his mom knew a guy who could control metal, and thinking about how there were only a few he had told about his mutation. He had tried doing the math, but the number never added up right and eventually he decided it was nothing more than a coincidence.

Obviously it was not. 

"Ever since that day ten years ago, I think I always knew. I just couldn't make sense of it," he said finally after a while. "I only knew your mother for a few weeks before I had to go. She never told me she was pregnant." 

"Yeah, well, from what Marya told me, she wasn't exactly happy about it," Peter said. "At least not until I was born. Marya said my mom adored me and hated you. Ever since Marya told me the truth, she's known that I was going to go find you. But she's always warned me that things with you never end well. I suppose this won't either." 

"Nothing ever ends well with me," Erik said, thinking of Magda and Nina. "But I suppose there's a first time for everything. I'll understand if you want to keep your distance though."

Peter laughed and looked over at Erik. "You think I want to keep my distance from you? If I wanted to keep my distance from you, I never would have told you the truth. No, Erik, I told you because I want you to be part of my life. I know I can't replace your family, that I'll never even come close to them, but, like, you still have me. And even if you go all 'let's take over the world' on us again, I'll probably just roll my eyes and tell everyone that my father is a megalomaniac. I mean, you scared the hell out of me ten years ago, but now? Not so much."

"I think I'm done trying to take over the world," Erik laughed. "But you're probably right about me being a megalomaniac. I'm glad you want to be a part of my life, Peter. And I'm not trying to say that I don't want to be part of yours. It's just that the loss of Magda and Nina is so fresh and..."

"And you don't need a twenty-seven-year-old son right now."

"No, actually, I think I do," Erik said, looking over at him. "I think that having you around will be good for me. I just don't know how to be a father to you."

"Well, I've never actually had a father before, so I'm pretty sure you can't fuck this up," Peter said. "Also, I'm staying to be an X-Man, so whenever you leave, I won't go with you."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Erik said. "But I think I might stick around for a while. I don't really have any plans at the moment except helping Charles where I can and seeing what happens next."

"Well, that's totally awesome because I really want to get to know you as a person instead of just the crazy megalomaniac that I broke out of the Pentagon. I want to know you the way Magda and Nina did. I have a feeling they knew the real you. And if you're not ready for that, then cool," Peter said, shrugging. "I'll just wait until you are, even though waiting isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world for me. When you have super speed, waiting for anything to happen pretty much sucks. Like my leg. I mean, I've been trying to work out some energy by assembling stuff with my hands, parts of bookshelves and beds and stuff, but God, I just want to run so bad."

"You are right, they did," Erik said sadly, letting his thoughts drift for a moment. "I will try to be that person again. It might take me a little bit, so you will need to be patient. I do want to get to know you as a person and as my son. Maybe tomorrow we can go from a drive on some back roads, if you want."

Peter tried to interrupt him but Erik just kept talking. "We won't be speeding," he said, trying not to smirk. "And I know cars don't even compare to your speed, but you would be out of the mansion and moving a little faster than just sitting still..." Erik trailed off, thinking that he'd have to get with Charles to think of something better. He hated that Peter was suffering like this.

Peter laughed. "We're totally speeding, because who checks for speeds on back roads. Also, it would be totally kickass if you could levitate the car and go really fast. Can you do that? Even if you can't, that's cool. And yeah, I totally want to do that. Road trip with my dad! Even if it is only like a loop back to the mansion. It'll be fun. Maybe you can tell me what you really did to get locked up in the Pentagon, because I know you didn't kill JFK."

"I've never tried to levitate a car before," Erik laughed. "That would be interesting. Perhaps on the next trip we can try it out. And I can tell you that among a couple of other things and whatever else you might want to ask tomorrow." 

"Awesome. Father-son bonding time. This is going to be great!" Peter exclaimed.

~*~

Charles wheeled himself down the hallway to Raven's bedroom, knocking on the door frame as he wheeled himself inside. "Well, I must say you were right."

"Of course," Raven smiled, getting up from the edge of her bed. "I knew I would be."

"I must admit, I wasn't sure that it would go alright," Charles said as Raven walked closer. "But even after Peter told him the truth, Erik stayed calm and stayed out there with him."

"It was something Erik needed to hear and something Peter needed to get off his chest," Raven said. "That and the beer helped them bond."

"Oh, about the beer," Charles said, turning his wheelchair around and heading out the door. "Since you're responsible for them drinking it, you're responsible for replacing it."

"I kind of figured, Charles," Raven laughed, following him out the door. "I'll do that tomorrow."


End file.
